Veteran goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has announced his retirement from the game of hockey after 15 seasons in the NHL. He leaves behind a legacy of greatness spent almost entirely with one team, the New York Rangers. The player announced his decision Friday morning.
— Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist) August 20, 2021
Henrik Lundqvist Retires
Lundqvist did not play in the shortened 2020-21 season. He encountered some serious heart concerns after he signed with the Washington Capitals and was held out for the entire campaign. His last action came in 2019-20 where he posted a .905 save percentage and 3.16 goals-against in 30 appearances for New York. There were thoughts that he might try to play again in 2021-22, but health and age remain undefeated.
The Rangers drafted Lundqvist in the seventh round of the 2000 Draft and he played only for that storied franchise until 2019-20. He is easily the most productive goalie in franchise history, leading it in games played and wins. He is also very near the top of the leaderboard in both save percentage and goals-against-average. New York has already moved on from their storied leader, but his memory will live on among the Blueshirt faithful.
Lundqvist’s Legacy
It is hard to overestimate just how great the 39-year-old Swede was at his height. Lundqvist won the Vezina just once in 2011-12, but he received serious consideration numerous times. He finished in the top three for the award five times and was in the top five, seven times. Lundqvist ends his career 10th on the NHL’s list for games played by a goalie and ranks highly in almost every metric when you consider the era in which he played. There is almost nothing he didn’t accomplish outside of winning a championship. It was truly one of the best goaltending careers many modern fans may ever see. We won’t have to wait too long before Lundqvist is rightfully enshrined in hockey’s hall of fame in a few seasons.
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